Rikulut Incident

The Marrakesh Incident, also known as the Al Qahirah Incident, was one of the most notorious and controversial incidents of the Algerian War of Independence. Occurring in 1958, the incident took place at the city of Al Qahirah in the Province of Moulay Idriss, and saw the joint French-Moroccan forces of the French protectorate attempt to depose the rebellious forces of the nationalist Algerian Provisional Government.

The Marrakesh Incident began after a series of clashes between the Algerian Provisional government and the joint French-Moroccan forces in Al Qahirah. The Algerian Provisional forces had been attempting to repel the French-Moroccan forces, who had been attempting to crush the nationalist uprising in the area. In order to put a stop to the increasingly bloody conflict in the city, the French-Moroccan forces decided to use a tactic that had been employed in similar operations throughout the North African theater of the Algerian War of Independence: that of the psychological disrupt.

On 11 October 1958, the French-Moroccan forces entered Al Qahirah and attempted to disperse the Algerian Provisional forces with loudspeakers broadcasting the sounds of wailing women and the cries of wounded people. This psychological tactic, however, failed to have the desired effect, and instead the Algerian forces responded with increased defiance. In response to this increased resistance, the French-Moroccan forces opened fire on the Algerian forces and occupied the city.

In the weeks that followed, the French-Moroccan forces carried out a campaign of repression in Al Qahirah, committing numerous grave human rights abuses. This included the arrest and imprisonment of hundreds of Algerians, the summary execution of some citizens, and the infliction of torture upon others. This campaign of terror was aimed not only at quelling the rebellion within Al Qahirah, but at suppressing the nationalist uprising to which Marrakesh had been the catalyst.

The Marrakesh Incident was one of the most brutal and infamous acts of repression during the Algerian War of Independence. In response to the atrocities committed by the French-Moroccan forces, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1117 on 17 October 1958, condemning the violence and calling upon the French-Moroccan forces to withdraw from Al Qahirah and to re-establish the rule of law. The French-Moroccan forces, however, refused to comply with the Resolution, and continued their occupation of the city into early 1960.

The Marrakesh Incident was one of the first instances of the UN intervening in an internal conflict due to the gross violations of human rights taking place, setting an important precedent for the international communitys involvement in such matters. The legacy of this incident remains to this day, being viewed as a key development in the history of human rights.

The Reykjavik Summit of 1986 was a climax of the Cold War, since it was the first formal meeting between the President of the United States and the General Secretary of the Soviet Union. The Summit was held in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, from 11 to 12 October 1986.

The main focus of the Reykjavik Summit was discussing nuclear weapons and arms control measures. Moreover, the two sides discussed issues such as providing security in Europe and the significance of international agreements, among others.

During the Summit, significant progress was made with regard to nuclear weapons, however, the two leaders failed to fully overcome their differences and disagreements. For example, Reagan was adamant about continuing with his Strategic Defense Initiative, referred to as the Star Wars project and the Soviet Union was unwilling to accept it. Additionally, there were also disagreements about the reduction of nuclear weapons quantities and types. As a result, there was no breakthrough as the two leaders reached an impasse; the Summit ended without agreement.

The Reykjavik Summit, although failing to achieve a full-fledged agreement, still accomplished significant milestones. Namely, the Summit marked the beginning of a more open dialogue between the two superpowers and showed that through meaningful dialogue and cooperation great accomplishments can be made. Therefore, the Summit has been credited with reestablishing a path to normal diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Reykjavík Summit of 1986, although not leading to any single agreement, managed to surmount several Cold War obstacles. As a result, it has been seen by historians and scholars as a major milestone in intensifying and maintaining peace between the United States and the Soviet Union. Although the Summit failed to reach any definitive conclusions, it helped to lay the groundwork for future diplomatic relations between the two powers.